Green IslandBolivia Prices Part 3
July 25th 2009 21:02
Just to recap, we have a budget of $60 for 2 people per day (thatīs $30 each). We changed our last set of travellers cheques in Bolivia for 6.5 Bolivanos for $1. That makes a daily budget of 390 Bolivanos per day. The prices quoted below are in Bolivanos. At the bottom of the blog are running totals for how much weīve spent and what our allowance should be. These series of blogs are designed to give travellers an idea of how much things cost in South America, which is very different to what the out-of-date Lonely Planet claims, and to give independent travellers tips on how to save a few dollars along the way.
Double room in Hostel Republicca = 144
I was fairly sick at this point so we splashed out on our own room rather than suffer the noise of the constant coke fuelled revelry in Loki and The Irish Rover
Breakfast at the market = 6
Lunch = 45
Dinner = 31
Water and ciggies = 29
Beggar and toilet = 1
A banana = 1
2 packs of rizla = 16
Total = 273 (117 under budget)
Hostel Republicca = 144
Lunch = 30
Archaelogical museum (10 per person) = 20
Water = 5
Dinner & beer = 61
Water = 4
We were given something to smoke by a kind fellow traveller which was just in the nick of time as our stash was nearly all smoked up. Itīs a boon to have friends when travelling.
Total = 264 (126 under budget)
Room = 144
Breakfast = 5
Taxi to cemetery bus stop = 20
Minibus from La Paz to Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) (20 per person) = 40
The journey from La Paz to the archaelogical site of Tiwanaku took 1.5 hours. We got there to discover that they wanted 80 Bolivanos per person to enter the site. Fuck that. We walked around the perimeter fence and saw most of it for free. Infact there was an open gate around the back which we could of sneaked in through if we were brave enough.
Lunch & coke cola = 58
Minibus from Tiwanaku back to La Paz = 40
Fags = 24
Water = 4.50
Total = 333.5 (54.5 under budget)
Breakfast = 5
Taxi to bus station = 12
Bus from La Paz to Copacabana (15 per person) = 30
Lunch = 46
Fags and water = 8
Hostel Tupac (own room with bathroom) = 40
Green = 80
Good to stock up supplies. Met a very nice young couple who sorted us out.
Tip to musician = 2
Dinner = 70
Wine = 20
Total = 313 (77 under budget)
Hostel Tupac = 40
Breakfast = 30
Lunch = 27
Icecream = 5
Boat tickets to Isla Del Sol on Lake Titicaca (20 per person) = 40
Fags, soap, toilet paper = 27
Internet = 20
Dinner = 88
Green = 100
We met the same couple again and got the super-size order
Wine = 20
Total = 397 (7 over budget)
Hostel Tupac = 40
Entrance fees to Isla Del Sol = 30
Breakfast & fags = 27
4 saltinas = 10
Lunch = 14
Dinner = 65
Wine = 20
Fags = 12
The Isla Del Sol boat tour was great value. The hour trip there, a lift from north to south, the trip back via some floating islands and all for 20 each. The beach on the north end of the island was really beautiful; however, the water was far too cold to swim in.
Total = 218 (172 under budget)
Hostel = 40
Breakfast at market = 30
Lunch = 36
Internet = 6
Changed 500 Bolivanos for 108 Peruvian Nuevos Soles (2.4 Bols = 1 N.S)
Bus ticket from Copacabana to Puno (Peru) 25 per person = 50
Dinner = 63
Water = 5
Total = 230 (160 under budget)
Totals
Actually spent = 3,992.8 Argentine Pesos ($1,079) and 3,116 Bols (@6.35 = $491) and 1,385 Bols (@6.5 = $213) and 2,028.5 (@6.5 = $312
Total Spent = $2,095
Budget = 5,772 Argentine Pesos ($1,560) and 2,667 Bols ($420) and 1,560 Bols ($240) and 2,730 Bols ($420)
Total Budget = $2,640
Difference = $545
Bolivia was virtually half the price of Argentina (you got double your money with the exchange rates); and of course, only half as developed. The roads in the South were mostly compact dirt. So we should be grateful that we visited during the dry season. The Salt Plains tour was amazing. Sucre was an elegant city. La Paz was a fascinating place - African quality sky scrappers and poverty shacks up both sides of the valley. I was too sick to sample much of the powder, but judging by how long some people stayed in La Paz and how late they stayed up, it canīt be too bad. The stuff we got in Sucre was fair to average. Weed was much easier to find than in Argentina, and cheap. We didnīt get stopped, searched or hassled by the police.
The showers in Bolivia are real hit and miss affairs. Even those which were meant to be officially hot often produced only tepid dribbles. There isnīt any toilet paper in the bogs. Donīt get caught short .
Finally, we loved Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. It has a holiday feel to it. You can eat trout in outdoor cafes and look at the lake and the all the people enjoying themselves. Thereīs some great trekking around the town, and the town itself has a cool hippy vibe with ganja readily available.
05-07-09
La PazDouble room in Hostel Republicca = 144
I was fairly sick at this point so we splashed out on our own room rather than suffer the noise of the constant coke fuelled revelry in Loki and The Irish Rover
Breakfast at the market = 6
Lunch = 45
Dinner = 31
Water and ciggies = 29
Beggar and toilet = 1
A banana = 1
2 packs of rizla = 16
Total = 273 (117 under budget)
06-07-09
La PazHostel Republicca = 144
Lunch = 30
Archaelogical museum (10 per person) = 20
Water = 5
Dinner & beer = 61
Water = 4
We were given something to smoke by a kind fellow traveller which was just in the nick of time as our stash was nearly all smoked up. Itīs a boon to have friends when travelling.
Total = 264 (126 under budget)
07-07-09
La PazRoom = 144
Breakfast = 5
Taxi to cemetery bus stop = 20
Minibus from La Paz to Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) (20 per person) = 40
The journey from La Paz to the archaelogical site of Tiwanaku took 1.5 hours. We got there to discover that they wanted 80 Bolivanos per person to enter the site. Fuck that. We walked around the perimeter fence and saw most of it for free. Infact there was an open gate around the back which we could of sneaked in through if we were brave enough.
Lunch & coke cola = 58
Minibus from Tiwanaku back to La Paz = 40
Fags = 24
Water = 4.50
Total = 333.5 (54.5 under budget)
08-07-09
CopacabanaBreakfast = 5
Taxi to bus station = 12
Bus from La Paz to Copacabana (15 per person) = 30
Lunch = 46
Fags and water = 8
Hostel Tupac (own room with bathroom) = 40
Green = 80
Good to stock up supplies. Met a very nice young couple who sorted us out.
Tip to musician = 2
Dinner = 70
Wine = 20
Total = 313 (77 under budget)
09-07-09
CopacabanaHostel Tupac = 40
Breakfast = 30
Lunch = 27
Icecream = 5
Boat tickets to Isla Del Sol on Lake Titicaca (20 per person) = 40
Fags, soap, toilet paper = 27
Internet = 20
Dinner = 88
Green = 100
We met the same couple again and got the super-size order
Wine = 20
Total = 397 (7 over budget)
10-07-09
Copacabana & La Isla Del SolHostel Tupac = 40
Entrance fees to Isla Del Sol = 30
Breakfast & fags = 27
4 saltinas = 10
Lunch = 14
Dinner = 65
Wine = 20
Fags = 12
The Isla Del Sol boat tour was great value. The hour trip there, a lift from north to south, the trip back via some floating islands and all for 20 each. The beach on the north end of the island was really beautiful; however, the water was far too cold to swim in.
Total = 218 (172 under budget)
11-07-09
CopacabanaHostel = 40
Breakfast at market = 30
Lunch = 36
Internet = 6
Changed 500 Bolivanos for 108 Peruvian Nuevos Soles (2.4 Bols = 1 N.S)
Bus ticket from Copacabana to Puno (Peru) 25 per person = 50
Dinner = 63
Water = 5
Total = 230 (160 under budget)
Totals
Actually spent = 3,992.8 Argentine Pesos ($1,079) and 3,116 Bols (@6.35 = $491) and 1,385 Bols (@6.5 = $213) and 2,028.5 (@6.5 = $312
Total Spent = $2,095
Budget = 5,772 Argentine Pesos ($1,560) and 2,667 Bols ($420) and 1,560 Bols ($240) and 2,730 Bols ($420)
Total Budget = $2,640
Difference = $545
Bolivia was virtually half the price of Argentina (you got double your money with the exchange rates); and of course, only half as developed. The roads in the South were mostly compact dirt. So we should be grateful that we visited during the dry season. The Salt Plains tour was amazing. Sucre was an elegant city. La Paz was a fascinating place - African quality sky scrappers and poverty shacks up both sides of the valley. I was too sick to sample much of the powder, but judging by how long some people stayed in La Paz and how late they stayed up, it canīt be too bad. The stuff we got in Sucre was fair to average. Weed was much easier to find than in Argentina, and cheap. We didnīt get stopped, searched or hassled by the police.
The showers in Bolivia are real hit and miss affairs. Even those which were meant to be officially hot often produced only tepid dribbles. There isnīt any toilet paper in the bogs. Donīt get caught short .
Finally, we loved Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. It has a holiday feel to it. You can eat trout in outdoor cafes and look at the lake and the all the people enjoying themselves. Thereīs some great trekking around the town, and the town itself has a cool hippy vibe with ganja readily available.
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